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Demographics of South Africa
| density = | growth = 1.34% | birth = 19.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) | death = 16.99 deaths/1,000 population (2010 est.) | life = 49.2 years (2010 est.) | life_male = 50.08 years (2010 est.) | life_female = 48.29 years (2010 est.) | infant_mortality = 43.78 deaths/1,000 | fertility = 2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.) | age_0-14_years = 28.9% (male 7,093,328/female 7,061,579) | age_15-64_years = 65.8% (male 16,275,424/female 15,984,181) | age_65_years = 5.4% (male 1,075,117/female 1,562,860) (2010 est.) | total_mf_ratio = 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.) | sr_at_birth = 1.02 male(s)/female | sr_under_15 = 1 male(s)/female | sr_15-64_years = 1.02 male(s)/female | sr_65_years_over = 0.68 male(s)/female | nation = South African | major_ethnic = | minor_ethnic = | official = See Languages of South Africa | spoken = }} The demographics of South Africa encompasses about 52 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. The last census was held in 2011 and the next will be taken anywhere from 2016–2021. South Africa is home to an estimated five million illegal immigrants, including some three million Zimbabweans. A series of anti-immigrant riots occurred in South Africa beginning on 11 May 2008. Population Historical population: 1904 to 2011 U.N. population projections: 2010 to 2040 |2015| 53491000 |2020| 55131000 |2025| 56666000 |2030| 58096000 |2035| 59527000 |2040| 60938000 }} Age and population estimates: 1950 to 2010 According to the 2010 revision of the United Nations Secretariat's World Population Prospects, South Africa's total population was 50,133,000 in 2010, compared to only 13,683,000 in 1950. In 2010, 30.1% of the people were children under the age of 15, 65.2% were between 15 and 64 years of age, and 4.6% were 65 or older.Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision All population estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand. Historical censuses 1904 Census South African Population Figures for the 1904 Census. Source:Smuts I: The Sanguine Years 1870–1919, W.K. Hancock, Cambridge University Press, 1962, pg 219 1960 Census Sources: Statesman's Year-Book 1967–1968;The Statesman's Year-Book, 1967–1968 (104th annual edition), edited by S.H. Steinberg, Macmillan, London; St. Martin's Press, New York, 1967, pages 1405–1424 Europa Year Book 1969 The Europa Year Book 1969, Volume II: Africa, The Americas, Asia, Australasia, Europa Publications, London, 1969, page 1286 Vital statistics Registration of vital events in South Africa has improved considerably during the past decade, but still not considered to be complete for black South Africans. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. (Natural increase or decrease over a time period is the difference between that period's live births and deaths, before accounting for inward or outward migration.) United Nations estimates, 2010 Age and sex distribution South African National Census of 2011 Age and race distribution South African National Census of 2011 Age distribution within each racial group By generation By five-year cohorts Racial composition of each age group Note that while over one-fifth (20%) of each age group over 65 is white, whites form less than one-twentieth (5%) of South Africans under 5 years of age. Similarly, while the Coloured population is now about equal to the white population (about 4.6 million each or 8.9% of the total), the nearly 2.9 million Coloured under 35 outnumber just over 2 million whites under 35 in every age group below 35, but the 1.7 million Coloured over 35 are less numerous than their 2.5 million white contemporaries in every age group above 35. Racial groups Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. The 2011 census figures for these groups were Black African at 79.2%, White at 8.9%, Coloured at 8.9%, Indian or Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%. The first census in South Africa in 1911 showed that whites made up 22% of the population; it declined to 16% in 1980, and 8.9% in 2011. Languages South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In this regard it is third only to Bolivia and India in number. While all the languages are formally equal, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the 2011 census, the three most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%), Xhosa (16.0%), and Afrikaans (13.5%). Despite the fact that English is recognised as the language of commerce and science, it ranked fourth, and was spoken by only 9.6% of South Africans as a first language in 2011. The country also recognises several unofficial languages, including Fanagalo, Khoe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, San and South African Sign Language. These unofficial languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide recognition. Many of the "unofficial languages" of the San and Khoikhoi people contain regional dialects stretching northwards into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. These people, who are a physically distinct population from other Africans, have their own cultural identity based on their hunter-gatherer societies. They have been marginalised to a great extent, and many of their languages are in danger of becoming extinct. Many white South Africans also speak other European languages, such as Portuguese (also spoken by black Angolans and Mozambicans), German, and Greek, while some Asians and Indians in South Africa speak South Asian languages, such as Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu and Telugu. Although many South Africans are of Huguenot (French) origin. South African French is spoken by fewer than 10,000 individuals country-wide. Congolese French is also spoken in South Africa by migrants. The primary sign language of Deaf South Africans is South African Sign Language. Other sign languages among indigenous peoples are also used. By ethnicity In 2011, the first language was Zulu for 28.1% of Black residents, Xhosa for 19.8%, Northern Sotho for 11.2%, Tswana for 9.7%, Sesotho for 9.3%, Tsonga for 5.5%, Swati for 3.1%, Venda for 2.9%, English for 2.8%, Southern Ndebele for 2.6%, Afrikaans for 1.5%, while 3.4% had another first language. Among whites, Afrikaans was the first language for 59.1% of the population, compared to 35.0% for English. Other language accounted for the remaining 5.9%. Religion According to the 2001 national census, Christians accounted for 79.7% of the population. This includes Zion Christian (11.1%), Pentecostal (Charismatic) (8.2%), Roman Catholic (7.1%), Methodist (6.8%), Dutch Reformed (6.7%), Anglican (3.8%); members of other Christian churches accounted for another 36% of the population. Muslims accounted for 1.5% of the population, Hindus about 1.3%, and Jews 0.2%. 15.1% had no religious affiliation, 2.3% were classified as other and 1.4% were unspecified. For a discussion of church membership statistics in South Africa please refer to Forster, D. "God's mission in our context, healing and transforming responses" in Forster, D and Bentley, W. Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton Park. AcadSA publishers (2008:97–98) African Indigenous Churches made up the largest of the Christian groups. Some believe that many people claiming no affiliation with any organised religion adhered to traditional indigenous religions. Many people have syncretic religious practices combining Christian and indigenous influences.Department of State, USA. Muslims are largely found among the Coloured and Indian ethnic groups. They have been joined by black or white South African converts as well as immigrants from other parts of Africa. South African Muslims claim that their faith is the fastest-growing religion of conversion in the country, with the number of black Muslims growing sixfold, from 12 000 in 1991 to 74 700 in 2004 The Hindu population has its roots in the British colonial period, but later waves of immigration from India have also contributed to it. Most Hindus are ethnically South Asian but there are many who come from mixed racial stock. Some are converts due to the efforts of Hindu missionaries such as ISKCON. Other minority religions in South Africa are Sikhism, Jainism and Bahá'í Faith. By ethnicity 87.9% of Black residents are Christian, 9.5% have no religion, 0.2% are Muslim, 0.0% are Jewish, 0.0% are Hindu and 2.3% have other or undetermined beliefs. 71.8% of White residents are Christian, 23.8% have no religion, 0.2% are Muslim, 1.4% are Jewish, and 0.0% are Hindu. 2.7% have other or undetermined beliefs. Immigration South Africa hosts a sizeable refugee and asylum seeker population. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007. Groups of refugees and asylum seekers numbering over 10,000 included people from Zimbabwe (48,400), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (24,800), and Somalia (12,900). These populations mainly lived in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth. Many refugees have now also started to work and live in rural areas in provinces such as Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Statistics SA assumes in some of their calculations that there are less than 2 million immigrants in South Africa. Other institutions, like the police and Médecins Sans Frontières place estimate the figure at 4 million.So where are Zimbabweans going?, BBC News. 8 November 2005.SA population may be much larger than previously thought Beeld 1 June 2009.Reference to 1996 HSRC studySouth African Police Service 2009 Annual Report page 9 indicating the number exceeds 3 millionhttp://www.msf.org.za/viewnews.php?n=308 Largest municipalities Graphs and maps File:South Africa Population Pyramid 2011 estimates.png|Population pyramid by population group, 2011 File:South Africa 2011 Black African population proportion map.svg|Black population File:South Africa 2011 White population proportion map.svg|White population File:South Africa 2011 Coloured population proportion map.svg|Coloured population See also * Statistics South Africa * South African National Census of 2001 * South African National Census of 2011 * Afrikaans speaking population in South Africa * Jewish population of South Africa * Ethnic groups in South Africa by municipality References Further reading * * External links *Sokwanele article on Zimbabwe Refugee Crisis *million whites leave SA- study *Contains information on the South African middle class Category:Demographics of South Africa